Tag: mazdaspeed

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New Year, New Gains

As the New Year rolls around, most people are looking for a change for the better in their lives.

At CorkSport we think one of the best changes you can make is more power for your Mazdaspeed. We have all the parts you need to liven up your Mazdaspeed3 or Mazdaspeed6 in the New Year.

Safety First

One of the first things to consider when modifying your Speed is the health of its engine. Performing maintenance is very important but it only gets you so far. When adding power, one of the first modifications on your list should be the CorkSport Max Flow Fuel Pump Internals.

These pump internals allow you to maximize your stock fuel system for optimum power capabilities and safer than OE A/R ratios. This means you can add the power you want and have peace of mind that your engine will get the fuel it needs.

Put the Power Down

Like the CS fuel pump internals, the CorkSport Stage 2 RMM for Mazdaspeed 3 will not directly increase the power levels of your car; however, it helps you put all that hard-earned power down. By decreasing the amount the engine can rotate, the Rear Motor Mount allows for reduced wheel hop and torque steer while providing faster throttle response and crisper shift feel.

Even we are surprised how much this engine mount changes how a Mazdaspeed 3 feels. Don’t worry Mazdaspeed 6 guys and gals, we have an RMM for you too.

Improving Airflow

Engines in an extremely simple sense are air pumps; so the faster you can get air in and out of the system, the better. That being said, some of the simplest and easiest power gains you can get from your Mazdaspeed are from upgrading the intake and exhaust. We have seen peak gains of 25ft-lbs and 33WHP from only the CorkSport Stage 2 Intake and a CorkSport Racepipe.

Checkout the dyno sheet below.

Power and torque levels will be further increased if you install a full CorkSport Turbo Back Exhaust instead of just the race pipe section.

The catback exhaust section has proven to gain up to 14WHP while the downpipe section alone has proven to gain up to 21WHP. In the dyno graph below, the downpipe car had a CorkSport Intake installed at the same time as the downpipe (hence the 50hp gain).

If that wasn’t enough flow for you, we also offer 3” and 3.5” intakes for even more airflow into your turbo. Keep in mind though, once you get into those you will need to use a new tune to ensure your car runs optimally. But check out the extra flow you get!

Turbo Upgrade

The CorkSport Drop-In Turbo is a fantastic upgrade to the stock K04 turbo that allows your car to make more power on an equivalent boost pressure. It will work with any mods you already had on your OE Mazdaspeed turbo as the CS turbo is truly a drop in upgrade. With supplemental tuning, fueling, and supporting parts, you can push your Speed to its limits.

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The Next Level

CorkSport also manufactures parts that can take your Speed beyond the parts discussed above. A short list of the parts with the best power gains can be seen below:

  • CorkSport Intake Manifold: A higher flowing IM can support much more power than the relatively restrictive OE unit. Best when paired with a larger throttle body.

  • CorkSport Camshafts: Replacement cams with extra lift to provide increased power and torque across the entire RPM range.

  • Bigger CorkSport Turbo? Yes, there is one in development. See this blog post for details.

No matter what your goals are for this year, CorkSport is here to help you achieve them. Whether you just picked up a Mazdaspeed and are unsure where to start, or have been driving one for years and want the excitement you once had back, CorkSport has a part for you.

Daniel

CorkSport Engineer

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Keeping Your Mazda Clean During This Winter Season

CorkSport Recommendations for Keeping Your Mazda Clean During The Winter Season

How many of our CorkSport family members have more product for their paint jobs on their Mazda’s than their own bodies? I know that we at CorkSport have more product than we can count with all of our fingers and toes. We enjoy having that smooth paint job with no imperfections and a paint job that beads up water with ease.

So how do we keep our cars paint baby butt smooth with all of the Pacific Northwest rain, and snow?

We make sure to do preventative paint correction so when the weather breaks, and the sun shines, we know our cars will look above anyone else. I wanted to take a little bit of time to make sure that CorkSport family members could see what we do to make sure our cars stay clean during the nasty winter seasons.

Before working for CorkSport, I managed a full-service car wash/detail shop for about eight years. There is always a common misconception that at least keeping the car clean will keep the paint looking good for long periods of time.

However, that is not correct. A car’s paint has polymers which over time dry out and lead to fading of the paint. This is why I recommend that if you are going to use a self-serve car wash, or an auto car wash, to make sure you use triple foam polish. The triple foam will re-condition the paint, and it will also leave a nice shine behind after the car has been dried. Also, any person who uses triple foam polish on their car will notice that dirt and grime come off the car easier the next time you clean it. Keeping the clear coat nice and fresh will result in less time cleaning and a much cleaner car over time. If you love your Mazda, make sure to use triple foam when you can!

Adding triple foam to your car wash procedure is a start, but it doesn’t stop there. I recommend to at least hand-wax your car twice a year. Waxing the car will remove things like tree sap, bird poop, light water spotting, and any other imperfections that may be seen while daily driving. It is very important to remove those imperfections because the longer they sit on the paint, the faster the clear coat starts to break down. As you can imagine, the chemicals put down on the road during winter can have a dramatic effect on the luster of the car, and before you know it you have fading paint.


As most of you know, mud flaps are normally associated with a rally car. I think we can all agree that a lot of Mazda owners also use them. I decided to use mud flaps not because I wanted to go tear up the dirt, but because I knew that it would keep my side skirts, and rear hatch much cleaner. After having the mud flaps installed, and moving to Washington where it rains eight months out of the year, I realized that mud flaps do in fact make a huge difference in keeping the car clean.

Additionally, the side skirts will see less wear and tear from junk on the roads keeping the side of the car in much better condition. When looking at getting mud flaps, make sure you get ones made out of poly, so they don’t bend over time.

The most important thing to have when owning a dope ride would be to have a garage to park her in. I know it might be a struggle, but get that garage organized, make some room, and fit your baby inside a closed building during the winter. The last thing you want is falling leaves, bird poop, tree sap, etc. to fall onto the car and sit on the paint for multiple months. Also, having that garage means you can now spend countless hours working on the car without having to go anywhere! Plus we all know that when you tell the significant other it will only take four hours to complete an install, we all know that it will take eight!

The cleaner you keep the car, the easier it is to correct the paint when the weather breaks. The end goal is to pull into the car wash, put the soap on the car, and watch the dirt melt off the car. If you have achieved this level of luster, then you have done a very good job at keeping the car well-kept during the nasty winter season!

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Ceramic Coating: Hype or Reality?

Ceramic coating has been an up and coming thing for the past few years now.

By now I’m sure most of you have heard of it a time or two. Car enthusiasts have been utilizing it more and more as it has grown in popularity. Most professional detail shops offer this service now, but it doesn’t come cheap.

You may be asking yourself:

Why is this so expensive?

Why is it better than Wax?

Does it work that well?

I was skeptical at first too. I figured it was just the next curved TV. The next fad that’s taking over. However, I have a close friend here in the PNW that does professional detailing, and he convinced me to give it a shot. Afterwards, all I can say is, the hype is very real, and this stuff is amazing! My Mazdaspeed3 looks amazing! I used C-Quartz, but there are lots of different brands and options out there.

I’m going to walk you guys through the process it takes to do the ceramic coat, and you can decide for yourself if it’s truly worth it for you and your Mazda.

So what is Ceramic Coating?

Ceramic Coating is essentially a new achievement in car paint coating.

It chemically bonds to the paint surface allowing for a “Permanent” paint seal. Protecting it from dust, dirt, oxidation, chemicals, or anything that can compromise the paint. Unlike wax, it won’t break down or wash away in a few months. Depending on how many coats you have of ceramic, it can last from months to years.

That’s right… Years.

For those that want to keep their paint sealed and protected for a long time, even after rough winters, this will be the best way to do it. Water, dust, grime, anything that normally sticks to your paint, will have a much tougher time staying in your car due to the properties of the ceramic.

It has fantastic UV protection, and cleaning your car will take half the time. Not only because it prevents as much dirt from staying on your car, but because the water beads off and drying is so much faster! You can even do it on wheels and calipers to prevent dust from sticking as bad, making it much easier to keep clean and looking nice.

The Process

Even for an excellent detailer, this is still a day-long process, if not more. It takes great attention to detail, and some elbow grease to fully prep the car for the ceramic coating. Think of it like painting anything, the better the prep work, the better the final product will be.

It all starts with a car wash/ bath for your Mazda. Remove all the big stuff. Bugs, dirt, grime, etc.

Next comes a full paint correction. They need to get it as smooth and free of defects as possible. In this picture, you can clearly see the difference between left and right sides.

A clay bar is now put to work. Removing any bonded contaminants to the paint. Any bumps that can be felt with your fingers, will be removed, causing the paint to feel smooth like glass again. Quick spray wax is typically used as a lubricant to prevent scratching.

The amazing thing about a clay bar is that it reveals on the contaminants you can’t typically see as well.

After this, the time now comes for the polish! The clear coat is essentially “Rearranged” by heat generated from the polish and the buffing pad. Making it even smoother and glossy again. It takes a lot of practice to know when it’s just right, and not go too far. Otherwise, it will burn the paint.

Now that the swirl Marks are gone, we use what’s called an IPA (Not the 5’Oclock somewhere kind of IPA) This is an isopropyl alcohol and water mixture that will get rid any polish and oil from the paint and lift dust to be removed. Creating a perfect bonding surface to apply the ceramic. This will allow for a stronger chemical bond to the paint.

 

Now comes the time we have all been waiting for; the application process.

A small applicator that involves a foam block and a suede microfiber cloth is used. Ceramic is applied to the cloth, and then its wiped onto the paint. The method is like wax, in the regard that it must harden a bit before it is buffed off. They go panel by panel and apply it, then wipe off. It is important that the cloth is monitored for hardness too.

The ceramic in the cloth will eventually harden, and then it becomes unusable. The number of coats they do depends typically on how much you pay for. The more coats, the longer it will last.

After the coat, its good to give the ceramic about a day to harden. Then this silica sealant can be applied. This preserves and maintains the ceramic. Every few months apply this to the car like a spray wax to keep it glossy and shiny.

The best part is finally being able to do the first wash (Give it about a week or so before the first wash) and seeing how well it repels the water. It practically jumps off the car. But the crazy part is, it will continue to do this for months, or even years. A normal wax coating to protect your paint Is no longer necessary. Just can sit back and relax knowing the paint is protected.

For anyone who loves their car and maintaining the paint. You will truly enjoy the outcome of this. Professional shops charge quite a bit. But I know plenty of DIY guys like myself that enjoy putting in the elbow grease. Either way, I believe its worth it, no matter the Mazda or Mazdaspeed you’re driving, and I thought I would share my experience with the Mazda Family!

Thanks for checking in,

Regards,
CorkSport Team

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Diagnosing Lean Air/Fuel Mixture Codes

What Does It Mean?

At CorkSport we are glad to be a source for help with those that have questions about their Mazda. I personally enjoy helping with drivability problems or Check Engine Lights! P2187 is a good example of a common code in the Mazda world. Especially those with Mazdaspeeds. “System too lean at idle.” Now you may be asking, what does this mean, and how is it fixed?

There are other lean codes all of this could apply to; this is a typical example.

It’s quite easy to figure out yourself, and I’ll be walking you through the simple procedure to track down the cause! Using my Mazdaspeed 3, we will go through some of the diagnostic steps of Boost Leak testing, and touch on some other common causes of a lean at idle code.

Let’s get started!

AFR/Fuel Trims

AFR – Measured by your primary 02, your air-fuel ratio is vital to watch and monitor if you are modding or trying to make more power.  Your Mazdaspeed is tuned to hit certain AFR targets, and relies on the 02 sensor and the MAF Sensor (Mass Air Flow) to adjust fuel delivery accordingly. However, there are things that can interfere with how these sensors communicate with the ECU, and if this happens, it will throw your system out of whack.

Examples are vacuum leaks, boost leaks, leaking nozzles/injectors, exhaust leaks, etc.

Fuel Trims – The measurement of how much your ECU needs to adjust fuel delivery. There are two kinds of fuel trims.

Short Term Fuel Trim (STFT) – Cars immediate Reaction To AFR Fluctuations, and responsible for keeping LTFT in check. This is constantly switching around. At Idle you should see close to 0 once it settles. Meaning that the RPMs are not fluctuating, and its steady.

Long Term Fuel Trim (LTFT) – Cars long-term reaction, which will change over time-based off how the short terms are doing. When you get a custom tune, your tuner will do what’s called a MAF calibration, to get this number as close to +/- 0 as possible. The less your ECU has to correct its fuel delivery the better.

Anything (-) means it’s taking away fuel, so the AFR’s its seeing are slightly richer than what it thought they would be.

Anything (+) means its adding fuel, so the AFR’s are slightly leaner than it should be. If you are seeing high or pegged STFT, the ECU is trying it’s very best to correct AFR to target.

How To Fix

Now that you have the basic understanding of what these mean, it will be easier to read the Accessport and see just what is going on. You will be able to watch how the computer is compensating for whatever the problem is, and be able to make a more educated decision on how to track it down.

Assuming the issue isn’t caused by something on the exhaust side, the most popular method would be the boost leak test. Creative name, right?

You can make one of these testers yourself, and it only costs a few bucks. All it consists of is a properly sized (And closed off) PVC section that you clamp onto your intake using a silicone coupler. It looks a little something like this.

Notice that there is a Schrader valve on top (Tire valve) This allows you to pressurize the system with air. You can use a bike pump or an air compressor. Obviously, the air compressor will be a bit easier as you can fill it up much faster.

Pinch off the line running from your intake to your valve cover or oil catch can, you don’t want to be forcing air directly into your crank case.

Attach the coupler to your intake, and start filling it up. Take small intervals to listen for any air escaping. You will want to ensure that the pressure your system holds is above or equal to your boost target.

If you hear air coming from the seal for your Mazaspeed VVT solenoid on your valve cover, this is normal.

Once you start hearing excess air escaping, or your gauge on the air chuck is not showing that it’s holding steady pressure, then you know you have a leak. The best way to visibly spot the leak is by spraying the suspect area with soapy water. It will reveal the leak as shown.

In this case, it was an FMIC coupler. However, these leaks can originate from a bad vacuum line, stuck open BOV, bad gasket. This method will expose any of these things.

What If It’s Not This?

If you have tested your system and found no source of a leak, then the next obvious things would be to inspect your MAF sensor, O2 Sensor, EVAP Solenoid, and exhaust system.

MAF – Sometimes these sensors fail, or get dirty. Cleaning them can sometimes render results but not always. Take it out and inspect it for grim or build up on the wire. MAF cleaner can be purchased at your local parts store.

O2 Sensor – Sometimes O2’s can get sleepy or go bad. Typically, when they do go bad, the readings are a bit more all over the place, or extreme. But it does happen sometimes.

The one responsible for AFR is an expensive Wideband sensor, so unless you’ve tried everything else, don’t throw money at a new one unless you’ve eliminated other variables.

EVAP Solenoid – This is responsible for allowing gas fumes from your EVAP system to be purged into your induction system to be burned off. However, the solenoid can sometimes be stuck open, and allow unmetered air in at the wrong times. Check to see if air passes through, or swap on a friend’s and see if it fixes the problem!

Exhaust – Cracks in the manifold, or downpipe before the 02 can trip up the sensor, thinking there is more air in the mixture than there is. The stream of the exhaust can pull in air from outside and confuse it. Look closely and listen for an exhaust leak. It’s typically easy to distinguish the sound.

Check out our latest CorkSport youtube video to catch a little more detail on this subject!

If all else fails, our staff at CorkSport is here to assist you over the phone the best we can for any of your Mazda or Mazdaspeed needs. Give us a call anytime for quality technical support at 360 260 2675.

Regards,

Brett@CS

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Mazda 3 TCR

An interesting article popped up a few days ago in which John Dagy, a journalist with Sportscar365, was discussing the TCR class of cars with John Doonan, the head of Mazda Motorsports program.

I have been following the TCR series for a while now with some interest in it as the car Mazda offers that fits best is the Mazda 3, and I enjoy the time I have had racing CorkSport’s Gen3 Mazda 3.

What is nice about the series is that it is meant to race four-door saloons, all with a 2.0 turbo motor and a price-capped ceiling of 135,000.  Most people would freak out a bit with that price but what you are getting is a fully developed car with a spec sheet.  Each manufacturer designates a builder, whether themselves or a shop, to assemble the cars and provide support.

Mazda is in an interesting spot; they have their successful Global MX5 cup series and the IMSA Prototypes with Joest, but there is a middle-ground hole that has been filled with the older NC Miatas.  With the NCs not being a current production model, it makes sense to get something in there to fill in the blanks.

 In the past, Mazda had used the Mazdaspeed 3 as the basis, and it did well capturing the championships in PWC and IMSA ST class, but the lack of a turbo model makes this a challenge.

One option out there would be to use one of our upcoming 2.5 Skyactiv Mazda 3 turbo kits and bridge the gap so to speak to have a powerplant.  Granted the turbo kit is for the 2.5 but with enough encouragement and feedback from people, the 2.0 kit is looking likely.

Work on some aero and really good suspension, and you would be set.  Maybe I am just daydreaming too much at work again….

-Derrick

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